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Monday, July 14, 2014

Monday Confessions

+ Last night Mike and I got Taco Bell at 9 p.m. I went to bed at 10, so you can imagine what a wonderful night sleep that decision resulted in. "But Ana, you're not in college, you're an adult with 4 children with decent judgement and reasoning powers, the resulting horrible night of sleep was entirely your own fault, so stop complaining", that's what I would be thinking if I were you. Not complaining, just confessing. I justified the late night (for me) run for soggy, fake Mexican food by telling myself that 1) it was such a rough day and I deserved it and 2) everyone needs a late night run for soggy, fake Mexican food every once and while. Both were so egregiously false that I think the only way for me to really learn my lesson was the 10 hours of indigestion and digestive discomfort that followed.

Lesson to be learned? Do not ever go out for a late night soggy, fake Mexican food, you will be sorry.

+ I am pretty sure that our dishwasher is broken or in need of some major cleaning/repair and is barely cleaning any of our dishes, leaving them with a faint-to-strong stank that permeates the senses while trying to enjoy any meal. I could do something about this or I could use it as a tool to eat less. I am going with the latter since I obviously need a lesson in temperance. Also, I do not feel like dealing with dishwasher maintenance.

+ I attempted to send both older girls to "Vacation Bible School" this morning and left with 2 girls in tow and one legitimately independent one enjoying the parish festivities. I was ok with Bernadette clinging to my side and refusing to stay because 1) I sort of lied about her age on the registration form, she is supposed to be 4 (she will be in October, close enough, I say). And 2) there were over 100 kids there and even I was really overwhelmed and wanted to run far away so I could sympathize. However, I had big plans to get some shiz done this week during my one child time, so I kept telling Bernadette that if she wasn't good and helpful on our errands, I would have to take her back to VBS. Yes you read that right, I used biblical instruction and a fun parish-based program as a threat against my 3-year-old. And it sort of worked. I am really going places with the whole parenthood thing.

+ I've been reading to the girls less and less lately and part of me feels really guilty about it and part of me thinks I am just dealing with the inevitable now. I mean, there is Lucy, who insists on sitting right on the 35 week pregnant belly and who will sit through roughly 3 sentences before the angry, bored squirming commences followed by an "I am not into this at all" tantrum. Then there is the hormonal, hot pregnant woman who prefers to be touched at little as is humanly possible in our non-air conditioned home who is doing the reading. The result is general pretty abysmal. I can only imagine that the addition of an even tinier, more dependent person will seal the no-reading-in-the-Hahn-home deal. Any ideas would be most welcome. Teach me your ways, oh mothers with infinitely more patience and wisdom than me!

+ I am serious denial about the disappearance of nap-time. I simply cannot accept it. Lucy has also (read: right now) started skipping them which has me nearly balled up in a corner rocking back and fourth and twitching a lot of days (read: right now). Like, I just typed this whole thing in front of the window air-conditioner to block out the sounds of talking/screaming from their perspective spaces and now they are all making an exodus and/or screaming too loud for me to ignore them. Like I said, I am really going places in the world of child rearing.

12 comments
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I'm just nodding along enthusiastically. First off, you are super brave. If I hadn't had air conditioning with the last baby, I would've choked someone to death. Secondly, I too have fallen off the reading wagon and I'm sloooowly having to climb back on. Our littlest is Lucy's age and has NO patience for the sitting on the lap during story time. He pretty much wrecks all attempts. So then I speed read and cry out in desperation, "Enough. Everyone to bed. Now. Sooner than now. Yesterday."

Wait... no central air conditioning??? How are you doing this? Granted, it's been a fairly mild summer in the Midwest (at least here in KS, not sure about IN) but oh Lord...

Digging your posts lately because they make me feel so much more normal and I like blog-stalking another pregnant lady. Believe me, there has been a loooooooooot of TV here and not a lot of reading, so there's that. Today my 2 year old pooped a leaky diahhrea poop so naturally while I was cleaning that up (cloth diaper, poop EVERYWHERE in the bathroom) the 4 year old peed his pants all over the dining room (which almost never happens). So now the 2 year old is napping - or awake? quietly? willful ignorance here - and the 4 year old is watching PBS kids because I just can't. I am all out of can.

But my husband might come home a little early and there might be chocolate cake involved, so...

I might just be mean, but my kids all have a rest time even when they don't nap. A 2 hour rest time, for serious. Mama can't live and homeschool otherwise. Books or audiobooks or just BE QUIET ALREADY but rest

No! Not mean at all!! I will always insist upon it forever and ever. It is mostly just the 20 month old skipping the nap and not getting the quiet time deal that is pushing me over the limit. But, really, we all know these are #firstworldproblems, I will surely be ok :)

I agree with the audio books! Also, maybe put them on during "nap time" and during bed time? Not that it works in my home. My Littles are way past naps (the youngest is 4 and hasn't napped since I-don't-know-when) and think bed time is for throwing things around the room at each other in the dark until a LOUD crash brings mom or dad in with the CrAzY eyes. They must love the CrAzY eyes.

About reading aloud - remember this is just a season and it won't be long before the older kids are reading books to the little ones just because they can :-) I seem to remember reading (short, kids) poems, often with children joining in, during this time instead of long storybooks which could even be classed as an educational win ;-) Also, naptime/rest time is a huge thing when you've relied on it for physical AND mental rest. If I don't get 20 minutes quiet lie down time after lunch it makes a massive impact on the afternoon & I can't be at my best for the family. I see your kids are fed, washed and put to bed at night on a semi-regular basis - priorities!

I found my younger ones gave up the nap earlier and earlier as I had more kids - too much going on in the house. But yours are still young - I would definitely force that issue! Quiet time - it's a wonderful concept, if you can get Lucy to cooperate. And you are my hero for being pregnant with no air conditioning. If you like poems - Shel Silverstein's Where the Sidewalk ends is great for kids. I read less and less to them during the day, especially when I was pregnant, so I tried to be on top of reading a story at bedtime. Somehow, they were more willing to sit and listen right before bed, and it was a good calming part of the routine.

I feel like I don't read to the kids a ton right now, but every time I have a nursing baby I spend a loooot more time reading to them because it's the only thing I can really *do* with them at that point! I remember every time I used to sit down while nursing Cecilia, John Paul would bring me a book and sit down next to me :) So don't worry - soon enough you'll be immobile with a baby attached to you and you can read to them aaaaaaaaall the time!

I just started reading your blog and this post is hilarious and quite identifiable. As I right this, it is "nap time" in our house and none of the children are napping not even the 12 month old baby who is in need of a nap the most. So yeah, solidarity.